Nonfiction1. Reef, Catherine. Jane Austen: A Life Revealed.Grades 7 & up"Reef beefs up what little is known about Jane Austen's life by blending in social history and substantial dexcriptions of her novels."SLJ Review, 20112. Smith, Sharon. The Young Activist's Guide to Building a Green Movement and Changing the World.Grades 7 & up"Many green guides focus on the small things that people can do to help the environment, but this title takes a different approach. ...The author provides a how-to guide for initiating grassroots change on a large scale. ...In addition, stories of youth "eco-heroes" are spotlighted throughout the text, providing inspiration and evidence of successful student activism. Charts, sidebars, photos of the Brower Youth Award winners, and special features add visual interest. A must have for any student interested in green issues."SLJ Review, 2011.3. Nardo, Don. Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire.Grades 5-9" Temujin has a role in our cultural imagination as the ruthless leader of sweeping Mongolian hordes. ...Nardo paints a sophisticated picture of a man who united several nomadic clans and then went on to found history's largest empire. Starting with his early childhood and ending with the death of his grandson, Kublai Khan, the book focuses on Genghis Khan's empire building and leadership, including his code laws and justice. ...Several detailed examples are given of Genghis Khan's bravery, ingenuity, and compassion, drawing readers in and showing more depth to the man than they may be used to."SLJ Review, 2011.

BOOK REVIEWS:FICTION1. Grant, Michael. The Magnificient 12: the Call. "A lighter than usual fantasy action adventure that is sure to win many fans and fly off the shelves."Kirkus Reviews, 2011"Abundant action and humor".Publishers Weekly Review, 20112. Riordan, Rick. The Son of Neptune."It's the ultimate toga party. #1 Best-selling series-the Heroes of Olympus."The New York Times Review, 20113. Ferraiolo, Jack D.Sidekicks.Grades 7-10

"Bright Boy, a sidekick of Batman-like superhero Plantom Justice, aka Trent Clancy, rescues a beautiful female hostage from the clutches of evil Rogue Warrior, but is powerless to conceal his affections....His nemesis Dr. Chaotic, escapes from prison with his sidekick, Monkeywrench...Allison..long story short, they fight and flirt. ... This is a fast-reading, cleverly told, entertaining tale, sort of a graphic novel without pictures. Although loose ends abound, the fun is in the boy meets girl story. Readers will be entertained and will hope for a quick sequel to fill in the gaps."SLJ Review, 2011.4. Bray, Libba. Beauty Queens.Grades 9 & up"Whip smart social commentary, surreall plot elements, and feminist themes come together in this bizarre and brilliant story about a group of beauty pageant contestants stranded on a remote island after a plane crash. Undanuted by disaster, the teens hone their survival skills as they practice dance routines and pageant interviews, while a ruthless corporation secretly plans to use them as pawns in an arms deal with an insane dictator. Beneath an entertaining veneer of witty dialogue and comic absurdity lies a thought-provoking exploration of society's expectations for how young women should look, feel, think and act. ... Bray rises admirably to the challenge of developing a large cast of characters. Each pageant contestant possesses much more than surfact-level beauty, and even the most stereotypically ditzy girl offers unique and unexpected strength. Readers from all backgrounds willidentify with the representation of various religions, ethnicities, and sexual orientations among the charactors. ... The empowering theme of self acceptance and the affirming message that women should underestimate themselves or others makes this novel a potentially life changing book for budding feminists.SLJ Review, 2011.5. Brooks, Martha. Queen of Hearts.Grades 7-10"It is 1940, and Canada, along with the rest of the world, is at war. Marie Claire, 15, lives on a farm with Maman, Papa, and her younger brother and sister. Never easy, life gets much harder after down on his luck Oncle Gerard comes to stary and then dies from tuberculosis in the local infirmary. Soon, Marie Claire and her siblings are diagnosed with TB and consigned to the same institution. Adventuresome and headstrong Marie Claire is confined to a bed next to painfully cheerful Signy and told to be a "patient patient." When her brother dies just before Christmas, Marie Claire must come to terms with the blame she has placed on herself for having taken him to visit their Oncle, as well as her father's inability to deal with what has happened to his children. The novel provides an intriguing glimpse into the now unfamiliar world of TB sanatoriums. ... A well drawn, innocent, yet compelling work of historical fiction."SLJ Review, 2011

BOOK REVIEWS:Graphic Novels:1. Hosler, Jay. Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth, illus. by Kevin Cannon & Zander Cannon. GGrades 10 & up"...Set up as an explanation of life on Earth for an alien race, it is arranged by chapters, with an introduction, an epilogue, a suggested reading list, and a glossary. The black and white illustrations and lettering are easy to follow, but the Cannons seem to have only one set of characters. The same "aliens" that appeared in " The Stuff of Life" are in "Evolution, even though this book is by a different author." School Library Journal (SLJ) Review, July 20112. Ward, Chris. et al. Political Power: Presidents of the United States. illus by Azim Akberali, et al.Grades 9 & up"Four different artists present the lives of four United States presidents. The first three biographies give clear overviews of the careers of Obama, Reagan, and Clinton. The Obama story is one of the volume's highlights: the detailed painted illustrations are realistic and expressive, and the text is humorously irreverent....the variety of art and writing styles should keep readers engaged, and the authors do ot talk down to their audience, making references to people."SLJ, July 2011